Climbing Flat-bean vs cocobolo

Dalbergia obovata compared with Dalbergia granadillo

Key Differences

• Climbing Flat-bean is Least Concern while cocobolo is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Climbing Flat-bean	cocobolo
Kingdom same	Plantae (พืช)	Plantae (พืช)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)	Magnoliopsida (พืชใบเลี้ยงคู่)
Order same	Fabales (อันดับถั่ว)	Fabales (อันดับถั่ว)
Family same	Fabaceae	Fabaceae
Genus same	Dalbergia	Dalbergia
Species	Dalbergia obovata	Dalbergia granadillo

Evolutionary Relationship

Climbing Flat-bean and cocobolo share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Dalbergia.

Conservation Status

Climbing Flat-bean

LC — Least Concern

cocobolo

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Climbing Flat-bean	cocobolo
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Climbing Flat-bean

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

cocobolo

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Climbing Flat-bean

Climbing Flat Bean, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis, commonly known as the Yard-long Bean or Asparagus Bean, is a vigorous climbing legume in the family Fabaceae widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical Asia for its extraordinarily long, edible pods. The pods, reaching up to 60–100 cm in length, are harvested when young and tender and are used extensively in Chinese, Southeast Asian, and South Asian cuisine. The species climbs trellises and poles using tendril-like, twining stems, producing purplish-white flowers that develop into the characteristic pendulous, slender bean pods. Like other Vigna species, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria in root nodules, improving soil fertility. Climbing Flat Bean is a warm-season crop requiring full sun, high temperatures, and adequate moisture, making it well suited to humid tropical and monsoon climates. It is an important food crop providing protein and vitamins for rural communities across Asia and is cultivated as a commercial vegetable in many tropical countries. The species is also grown in tropical America and Africa. Being a domesticated cultivar complex, its conservation status is not formally assessed in terms of wild populations, though the preservation of genetic diversity in cultivated landraces is an agricultural priority.

cocobolo

Cocobolo (Dalbergia granadillo) is a medium to large tropical hardwood tree in the family Fabaceae, native to the dry and moist forests of Pacific Mexico and Central America, from Jalisco and Colima south through Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas into Guatemala and Honduras. The species is one of the most prized commercial rosewoods in the world, producing exceptionally dense, fine-grained heartwood in rich tones of red, orange, and brown with contrasting darker grain lines; this wood is used in high-end guitar fingerboards, knife handles, turning, and decorative woodwork. Unfortunately, this commercial value has driven intense illegal logging across much of its range, leading the IUCN to classify Dalbergia granadillo as Critically Endangered — the highest threat category short of extinction in the wild. The species is listed in CITES Appendix II, requiring documentation of sustainable harvest for international trade. Remaining populations are heavily fragmented in degraded and secondary forest, with mature trees of commercial size increasingly scarce. The slow growth rate of the species means that recovery of logged populations takes decades. Conservation initiatives include reforestation programmes, strengthening of enforcement against illegal logging, community-based forestry schemes, and research into propagation for plantation production as an alternative to wild harvest. Without effective action, Dalbergia granadillo faces continued population decline and potential extirpation from parts of its natural range.